The Committee is right to acknowledge how the AUKUS programme sits alongside the regular drumbeat of Astute-class activity. The Government recognises the pressure on the Astute-class fleet in meeting AUKUS commitments, but delivering port visits and progressing towards a rotational UK submarine presence in Australia remains essential to the UK’s credibility as well as supporting our interests in the region. Our commitment to this has most recently been demonstrated by HMS Anson’s successful deployment to HMAS Stirling. The Government is clear, however, that the fleet is operating at a demanding tempo alongside wider defence commitments. We are therefore taking a balanced approach—carefully managing deployment sequencing, investing in maintenance and workforce, and working closely with US and Australian partners to share the burden. We remain confident we can meet our AUKUS commitments while safeguarding the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the Astute fleet, backed by the investment we are making to restore capability and capacity in our Naval Bases which is required to recover submarine availability.